by Nancy Gardiner
Northern News Services

NNSL (June 2/97) - Nunavut Construction Corporation is plunging forward to make this year's sealift.

Nick Carter, who has only been with the corporation in Iqaluit for about two weeks, is overseeing logistics as procurement manager for NCC.

Carter is the former regional director of Cambridge Bay, a position he's held for four years. Prior to that, he spent five years as superintendent of government Services. He's also provided consulting work in Pelly Bay and Holman.

NCC is the general contractor of materials, with the exception of mechanical and electrical, and subcontractors for housing and office units for the new Nunavut territory in 1999.

NCC is equally owned by the four birthright corporations -- Nunasi Corp., Kitikmeot Corp., Sakku Investment Corp., and Qikiqtaaluk Corp.

The window of opportunity for the sealift closes July 5 across the board, he says.

Igloolik, Cape Dorset and Iqaluit are served out of Montreal by ocean-going vessel, Arviat by barge out of Churchill, Man. and Kugluktuk by barge out of Hay River.

Carter is co-ordinating the sealift for the start of Nunavut infrastructure construction. Tenders for building materials close June 6.

Carter says he still needs to conduct site visits to view the lots selected.

Altogether, 250 row-housing units will be constructed between 1997 and the year 2000 in various communities.

They will be four-, five- and six-unit rowhouses.

Sixty-six rowhouses are slated for construction this year: Iqaluit will get 20 new rowhouses, Kugluktuk and Arviat will each receive 13, Igloolik 12 and Cape Dorset 8.

The units will house Nunavut and federal employees, says Carter. Once the materials are sealifted, construction on the units would start this fall.

Next year, 80 rowhouses and some offices will be constructed in Nunavut. Altogether, 11 office buildings are planned for various communities.

NCC staff are now temporarily occupying the old courthouse building.

Eleven positions with NCC are being filled and staff will be moving over the next couple of week to the Parnaivik building in Iqaluit, says Carter. NCC president is Tagak Curley.